Speed-changing mechanism



T. H. SEELY. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM.

APPLCATION FlLE DEC, 28. 19|6. L, Patented Aug. 10, 19m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. H. SEELY. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. 1916.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNETEB STATES PATENT GFFECEQ,

THoMAs 11 snnnr, or nraLDEn, MASSACHUSETTS, assrenon, nr Mnsnn essieu-Mnn'rs, 'ro UNITED snon MACHINERY oonronerron, or rarnnson', new JER-ser, a ConroitA'rroN or NEW JERSEY.

SPEED-orrencine irnonairrsivr.

Lalanne.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. Ml, i920.

Application led December 28, 1916. Serial No. 139,378.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. SEELY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Malden, in the county of Middlesex andState ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Speed-Changing lMechanism, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters onthe drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

rlhe invention to be hereinafterv described` relates to variable-speedmechanism, and more particularly mechanisms of thistype adapted for usein machines for manufacturing boots and shoes.

Ordinarily, the speed shoe making machine is intended to be operated isthe same for all portions of the work treated by it, and is governedusually by the capacity of the operator properly to present the worktothe machine. ln lasting machines, for instance, where the dierentparts o the upper about the shoe are successively worked intoV lastingposition, the speed at which the machine may be advantageously run, willdepend upon the rapidity with which the operator can successivelypresent the didere'nt portions of the shoe properly to the lastingdevices. While lasting the shank, sides, and toe of a` shoe, pincermechanism is usually employed to seize, pull and'lay successive portionsof the upper lmaterials over the innersole, but' whilepassing -about theheel seat it is not necessary to thus pull the upper owing to' the shapeof the last at this portion of the shoe, so the operator dodges thepincers at each pincer movement about the heel seat, that is, heslightly tilts or shifts the shoe as the pincers 'seek to grip the uppermaterials, and the upper is laid into lasting position at such times bythe wiper or presser. Thus about the heel seat-,it is possible forltheoperator more rapidly to present the shoe properly to the lastingdevices than along the other portions of the shoe, but if the machinemaintains the same speed of operation while treating the shoe about theheel seat as it does while treating the other portions of the shoe, itis not working to the best advantage and much valuabletime is lost.

Accordingly2 one of the objects of the present invention is to provide anovel and at which a boot or improved speed changing mechanismconstructed and arranged to enable the operator to run the machine atone speed while successively working the upper of a shoe to lastedposition along the shank, sides, and toe and at a different speed whilelasting about the heel seat. To attain this and other objects of theinvention it is important that.

the speed changing mechanism shall be quickly responsive to the' will ofthe operator, and an important feature of the resent invention,therefore, consists of a riving member and a single driven memberoperatively connected to the main shaft of the machine, and positivelyacting means between the driving and driven members controllable at willfor positively operating the driven member atv different speeds from thedriving member.

Another object of the invention is the lproduction of a speedcontrolling means having provision for the positive transmission ofspeed from the driving to the driven member wherein the parts arecombined for more efficient and reliable operation than heretofore.Another important feature of the invention, therefore, consists. in aclutch member for operatively connecting the driving and driven membersand two gears, which under control of the operator, may be readily'caused to rotate about a common centerfor operating the driving anddriven membersat the same speed or about different centers for increasedspeed of the driven member. To attain these and other objects, theinvention in its preferred form comprises an. internally toothed gearwhich,

when the driving and driven members are tation that the s eed of thedriven member.

may be increase The various features of the .invention above referred toand other features and advantages thereof will more fully and clearlyappear from the? following descrip.

tion of the invention read in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate one good practical form or embodiment worked to lastedposition by successive operations of the lasting devices at differentportions of the upper, and while the present invention has specialadaptation for that type of shoe making machine, it is not to beunderstood as limited thereto butmay be employed with advantage in othertypes of machines.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation and part sectional view ofa speed changing mechanism containing the present invention, andoperatively connected to the main shaft of a lastinmachine;

ig. 2 isan enlarged end view looking from the left of Fig. 1 some of thepartsbeing broken away and others shown in section,y to make clear.thelr association `and relatlon;

. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section bn thev line 3 3 of Fig. 1, someof the parts being broken away to more clearly disclose the constructionand connection of parts beyond.

The machine lto which the present invention is applied by way ofillustration,l comprises a base frame 1 from which rises a column orstandard for supporting the main shaft 2 of the machine by which theworking tools, such as the pincers and associated parts, are actuated.These tools and their relation to the main shaft 2 are not hereinillustrated and described, as they are well understood by those skilledin the art, and the particulars thereof do not form essentials of thepresent invention.

Rising from the base frame 1 are the arms 3, 3, provided with a suitablesupport for the driving member of the speed changing mechanism. Inthepresentinstance of the invention the support comprises a4 shaft 5sustained in bearings 4, 6 and having mounted thereon the vdrivingmember 7, which may be continuouslyl driven from` a prime motor orsuitable source of power to which it may be operatively connected, as bythe be/lt 8. The driven member 9 of the speed changing mechanism isloosely sustained by the shaft'5, and is operatively connected tothe-main shaft2 of the machine as by the belt 10, substantially asillustrated in Fig. 1, the construction being such that v 'clutch memberfor operatively connecting the driving and driven members, and speedchanging elements for effecting different speeds of the driven member 9from the uniform speed of the driving member 7. In the present instanceof the invention the clutch member comprises a disk 11 having a flange12 which may be faced with some frictional material, such as leather orthe like 13 for engaging frictionally with a similar-fiange 14projecting from the driving member, the essentials in these respectslbeing that the drivingvand driven members of the speed changingmechanism may be operatively connected and disconnected.

`The friction member 11 has an elongated sleeve or hub portion 15loosely mounted upon the shaft 5, and preferably provided,

with suitable lubricating ducts, as shown. In order that thefrictionmember may be appropriately moved to operatively connect ordisconnect the driving and driven members at will, suitable means areprovided under treadle control for moving the sleeve 15 longitudinallyof the shaft 5. In the present instance of the inventiona collar 16 isloosely` mounted upon the shaft 5 and is moved longitudinally thereof bya wedge 17 under suitable manual control, a good form of such controlbeing illustrated by Fig. 1, wherein, a treadle operated element orlever 18 is pivotally connected at 19 to a slide member 20 adapted formovement transversely of the shaft 5, and having pvoted thereto at 21 abell crank 22, one portion of which is connected by a link 23 to thewedge 17, and the other end of which is yieldingly held by a pin 24passing through the end of the bell crank and slide member 20 andnormally under the action of a spring 25, surrounding the pin 24. Theaction of the spring is adjustably restricted by the head 26 of the pinand the adjustable nut 27, the construction being such that upondepression of thetreadle the slide 20 will be raised carrying with itthe wedge 17 and thereby moving the collar 16 longitudinally of theshaft 5 to place the clutch member in operative connection with thedriving member, and upon further depression of the ltreadle, theyieldingly mounted bell crank 22' will permit the slide further upwardmovement without corresponding movement of the wedge 17.

The collar 16 may be connected to the sleeve or hub 15 in some cases, asby means of a collar28 secured to the sleeve o1' hub by a set s crew 29or other device, and joined to thecollar 16 byan arm 30. If desired` awasher 31 may be loosely interposed between the collars 16 and 28 orbetween the collar 16 and the end of the sleeve 15, the constructionbeing such that movement of the collar 16 to the right, Fig. 1, willeffect corresponding movement of the clutch ymember to op,- erativelyconnect the driving and driven members of the speed changing mechanismand movement of the collar 16 to the left will effect correspondingmovement of the clutch member to operatively' disconnect the driving anddriven members. Movement of the collar 16 to operatively disconnect thedriving and driven members may be accomplished in various Ways, but inthe present `instance, a spring 32 has one end connected to the collar16, as by the pin 33, and its other end connected to a fixed part, suchas the bearing 6 by a similar pin 34. y

Loosely mounted upon the sleeve 15 and extending between the collar 28and the disk `11 of the clutch member is the sleeve 35 carrying aneccentric portion 36, which in 'the present instance of the invention,is arranged between the` driven member 9 and the disk 11 of the clutch.member. An externally toothed ring or gear 37 is loosely mounted uponthe` eccentric portion 36 of the sleeve 35 and is operatively connectedto the driven member 9 to rotate therewith. In the present instance ofthe invention.this connection is effected by a link 38, one end of whichis secured to the driven member 9 by a pin 39 and the other end of whichis secured to the externally toothed gear 37 at 40, Fig. 3, theconstruction being such that motion imparted to the externally toothedgear 37 will be directly transmitted to the driven memberv9.

The externally toothed gear 37 is operatively connected toA aninternally toothed gear 41 preferably as shown, by intermeshlingrelation of the teeth of the respective gears. The internally toothedgear 41 has a larger number of teeth than the externally toothed gear37, and when the driving and driven members of the change speed mecha'-nism are operatively connected, the internally toothed gear 41 rotateswith and at the same speed as the driving member 7. This is effected inthe resent instance of the invention by mountlng the gearl 41 on theclutch member as by means of the'y pins 42.

The present invention contemplates that during normal machine operation,the driv.- ing and driv n members shall rotate at the same speed aidthat the speed of the driven member may be increased at times'under thecontrol of the operator. To these ends, means are provided under thecontrol of the operator for causing the internally and externallytoothed gears to rotate about a common center Without relative rotationwhen the driving and driven members are to be operatedl at the samespeed and to free While the iange is caused to rotate with the sleeve 35carrying the eccentric 36, -it may slip to some extent thereon to absorbthe shock lncident to stopping rotation of the eccentric carrying sleeve35, as will more fully appear. To' prevent movement of the flange 43longitudinally of the sleeve, the,

fiange has secured thereto a lug 46, the end of which engages a groove47 formed in the sleeve 35, substantially as indicated in etween thefiange 43 and the driven member 9 is means under control ofthe operatorfor connecting or disconnecting the flange and, perforce, the eccentriccarrying sleeve 35, for rotative movement with or independent of thedriven member. In the present instance of the invention, this meansconsists of a latch 49 pivoted at 50 to the flange 43, Fig. 2, andprovided with a locking shoulder 51, Which, under` the impulse of aspring 52 isnormally held in engagement with a recess 53 on the drivenmember 9, the construction being such that when the shoulder 51 andrecess 53 are engaged the flange 43 .and driven member 9 are locked forrotative movement together. Un-

der the conditions described, it will be noted that the eccentric 36will rotate with the driven member and the internally and externallytoothed gears Willvrotate together about a common centerl 54 and belocked from relative rotation.

The recess 53 is preferably formed in a plate 55 secured to thedrivenmember 9, as indicated in Fig. 1, although, obviously, it may beotherwise contrive'd.

The meh 49, Fig. 2,15 also provided with a recess adapted to be engagedby a controller or stop 57 secured to the slide 20, Fig. 1, theconstruction being such that yvvhen the treadle is depressed normallyfor operating the driving and driven members at the same speed, thecontroller or stop 57 is not raised sufficiently to engage the latch 49,but upon further depression of the treadle, the controller or stop 57 islifted to engage the latch as the ,latter is carried about the shaft 5with the flange 43 and' driven members, thereby first lifting thelatchto unlock the connection Ibetween the flange 43 and driven memberand then to engage the recess 56 of the latch to stop rotation of thefiange and eccentric carrying sleeve 35. When the controller or stop 57is thus raised into engagement Withthe recess 56 of the latch theeccentric carrying sleeve is held stationary and the internally andexternally toothed gears then rotate relativel about their respectivecenters 54 and 58, ig.` 3. lSince the numbers of teeth in the internallytoothed gear is greater than the number of teeth in the externallytoothed gear, the latter Will be rotated at an increased speed from theinternally toothed gear and perforce transmit such increased speed tothe connected driven member 9.

When the treadle is thus further de-v v which may ride over the end ofthe controller 57 when the ylatter is additionally7 raised and-thenunder the action of the spring 52 drop into locking engagementtherewith.

It may sometimes be desirable to provide for lubrication of theexternally toothed gear, and to this end the eccentric carrying sleeve35 may be provided with an oil duct leading to an absorbent pad 61 suchas felt, seated in a radially formed opening in the eccentric 36.

What is claimed is 1. A speedchanging mechanism having a driving member,a drlven member, a clutch between said driving and driven members,manualmeans movable to operate the clutch to cause the driven vmember tobe driven from the driving member at the same speed, and connectionsbetween the clutch and the driven member to drive the driven member atanother speed, said connections being normally inoperative andconstructed and arranged to be rendered operative by further -movementof the manual `means in the same direction. p

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a mainshaft, a driving member, a single driven member operatively connected tosaid shaft, gearing connections between the driving and drivenmembersincluding a clutch, and means for locking the gearing connections fromrelative movement to cause the driving and driven members to move at the-same speeds 'and operable at will for freeing the gearing connectiontorelative movement to impartl increased speed to the driven member fromthe driving member.

\ 3. In a machine of the character described,

l the combination of a driving member and a single driven member, aclutch device between said members, manually operated means' foractuating the clutchf device, means between the clutch device and one ofsaid members for transmitting the movement of the driving member atdilferent speeds to the single driven member when the members` oftheclutch device are operatively engaged, and devices controlled from saidmanually operated means for determining the speed transmitted to thesingle driven member.

4. A speed changing mechanism having a driving member, a driven member,a clutch between said driving and driven members, manual means movableto operate the clutch to cause the driven memberto be driven l:from thedriving member at one speed, connections between the clutch and thedriven member to drive the driven member at another speed, and meansoperated by further movement of the manual means in the same directionconstructed and arranged to cause said connections to drive the drivenmember at the other speed.

5. A speed changing mechanism having, in combination, a driving member,adriven member, a clutch device between the driving ard driven members,a gear movable with the driving member when the members of the clutchdevice are operatively connected, a gear connected to the driven member,means for normally locking said gears from relative movement to causethe driven and driving members to move at the same speed, and means forfreeing the gears to relative movement to cause the driven member tomove at a higher speed than the driving member.

6. A speed changing mechanism having, in combination, a driving member,a driven member, a clutch devicebetween the driving and driven members,an internally toothed gear movable with the driving member when themembers of the clutch device are operatively connected, an externallytoothed gear meshing with the internally toothed gear and connected tothe driven member to rotate therewith, means for locking said gears fromrelative-rotation for driving the driven member at the same speed as thedriving member, and means operable at will for tripping the lockingmeans for freeing the gears to relative rotation to cause the drivenmember to rotate at a dilerent speed than the driving member.

7. A speed changing mechanism comprising, in combination, a drivingmember and a driven member, a clutch device between said members, aninternally toothed gear movable at the same speed as the drivingI memberwhen the members of the clutch device are operatively connected, anexternally toothed gear having a less number of teeth than theinternally toothed gear and meshing therewith, connections between theexternally tobthed gear and the driven member to cause them to move atthe same speed, means for causing the internally and externally toothedgears to rotate together without relative rotation, and manuallycontrolled means for freeing them to relative rotation for increasingthe speed of the driven member. i

8. A speedv changing mechanism, comprising, in combination, a drivingmember and a driven member, said members, a gear connectedl to a mem-'ber of the clutch device to rotate therewith,

a smaller gear connected to rotate with the driven member and meshingwith the larger gear, means for causing the two gears to rotate togetherwithout relative rotation for driving the driven member at the samespeed as the driving member, and manually controlled means for Jfreeingthe gears to relative rotation that the driven member maybe rotated at adifferent speed than the driving member.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination ofA a drivingmember and a driven member, a clutch member interposed between the.driving and driven members, manually movable means for operativelyconnecting the clutch ymember and the driving member, gearingconnections between the clutch member and driven member, means forlocking the gearing from relative rotation to cause `the driving anddriven members to operate at the same speed, and a device for freeingthe gearing to relative rotation at will that the driving and drivenmembers may rotate at different speeds.

10. A speedchanging mechanism, comprising, in combination, a drivingmember and a driven member, a clutch device between said members,intermeshing eccentrically mounted gears between the clutch device anddriven member, and `manually controlled means for causing said gears torotate about a common center that the driving and driven members may beoperated at the same speed, and means for causing said gears to rotateabout differentY centers that the driving and driven members may rotateat diiferent speeds.

11. A speed changing mechanism, com-- prising, 1n combination, a drivlngmember and a driven member, a clutch ldevice between said members, aninternally toothed gear movable with the driving member when the membersof the clutch device are operatively connected, an eccentrically mountedexternally toothed gear meshing with the internally toothed gear andconnected to the driven member for rotation therewith, and means forcausing the two gears to rotate about aA common center without relativerotation that the driving and driven gears may rotate at the same speedand for causing them to rotate about separate centers that the drivenand driving members may be rotated at different speeds.

12. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination of a driving memberand a driven member, a clutch member between the driving and drivenmembers, two eccentrically mounted gears one connected to the clutchmember and the other to the driven a 'clutch device between member, andmanually controlled means for causing said gears to rotate togetherabout a common center that the driving and driven members may beoperated at the same speed and for causing them to rotate relativelyabout diiferent centers that the driv-v ing and driven members mayoperate at different speeds.

13. In an apparatus of the classdescribed, the combination of a drivingmember, a driven member, a clutch member, manually .controlled means formoving the clutch member to operatively connect it with the drivingmember, an internally toothed gear movable with the driving member whenthe driving and clutch members are operatively connected, an eccentric,an externally toothed gear meshing with the internally toothed gear andmounted on said eccentric, connections between the driven member and theexternally toothed gear to cause them to move together, locking meansfor causing the internally and externally toothed gears to rotatetogether about a center concentric with the internally toothed gear, anda device or tripping the locking means to free the externallyv toothedgear to'turn about a center eccentric to the internally toothed ear.

g 14. speed changing mechanism, comprising, in combination,a -drivingmember and a driven member, means between said members for transmittingvariable speeds from the driving to the driven member including a clutchand two gears, one an internally toothed gear and the other anexternally toothed gear meshing with the internally toothed gear, aneccentric carrying the externally toothed gear, a link connecting theexternally toothed gear and driven member, means for normally lockingsaid gears from relative rotation to transmit one speed from the drivingto the Vdriven -member, and means for tripping the locking means topermitl the gears to rotate relatively for the transmission of adiiierent speed from the driving member to the driven member.

15. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination of a driving member'vand a driven member, an eccentric, means normally acting to lock thedriven member and eccentric for rotation in unison, an externallytoothed gear mounted on the eccentric and connected to the drivenmember, a clutch 'centricalIymounted gears 16. In a speed changingmechanism, the combination of ay driving member and a driven member, andmeans between said members for transmitting variablel speeds from thedriving Ato the driven member includinr a clutch and intermeshingecbetween the clutch'and driven member, means normally acting to causesaid eccentrically mounted gears to be rotated together without relativerotation for the transmission of one speed to the driven member, andmeans for freeing the gears to relative rotation for the transmission ofa different speed.

17. A speed changing mechanism, comprising, in combination, a drivingmember from rotation.

,..18. A speed Achanging mechanism, comprising, in combination, adriving member and adrlven member, an eccentrlc carrying 'an externallytoothed gear, means for connecting the externally toothed gear anddriven member, a latch for normally locking the eccentric` and drivenmember for rotation in unisonf; arclutch member, means ,operable at willfor connecting the clutch member and driving member, an internallytoothed gear carried by the clutch member and meshing with theexternally toothed gear, and lmeans operable at will for tripping thelatch and freeing the eccentric from rotation with the driven member 19.A speed changing mechanism, comprisin'g, in combinatlon, a drivingmember and a driven member, an eccentric carrying a toothed gear that isconnected for rotativel 4 movement with the driven member, a clutch'freeing the eccentric from rotation with the driven member 'and lockingit from rotation that the gears may rotate about different centers whenhigh speedlis desired.

20. A speed changing mechanism, comprising, in combination, a drivingmember and a driven member, an eccentric carrying a toothed gear thatisconnected for rotatlve movement with the driven member, a clutchmember carrying a gear intermeshing with the eccentrically mounted gear,means for operatively connecting at will the clutch member and drivingmember, a latch normally locking the eccentric to the driven member tocause the two gears to rotate about a common center without relativerotation, and attendant-controlled means for tripping the latch andholding the eccentric from rotation that the gears may rotate aboutdifferent centers at dilierent speeds. y

21. A speed changing mechanism having a driving member, a driven member,a clutch between said driving and driven members, manual means foroperating the clutch to cause the driven member to be driven directlyfrom the driving member at the same speed, normally inoperative gearedconnections between the clutch and the driven member for operating thedriven member at another speed, and means rendered operative by furthermovement of the manual means in the same direction for causing thedriven member to be operated through said geared connections.

In testimony 'whereof I have signed mv name to this specification. n

THOMAS H. SEELY.

